Sound-record and sound-record tablet.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

V. H. EMERSON.

SOUND RECORD AND SOUND RECORD TABLET.

APPLICATION FILED 11176.19, 1905.

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VICTOR HQEMERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GRAPHOPHONECOMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SOUND-RECORD AND SOUND-RECORD TABLET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed August l9 1905. Serial No. 274.908.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vroron H. EMERSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented a new anduseful Sound-Record and Sound- Record Tablet, fully set forth in thefollowing specification.

This invention relates to sound-records and more particularly to a newsound-record tablet.

It has been proposed heretofore to make sound-record tablets ofcelluloid and also of compositions containing shellac. Each of thesesubstances possesses certainproperties which render them desirable assound-record material, but there are also certain inherent objections totheir use. Shellac is expensive, and the records heretofore made ofshellac-containing com ositions wear out rapidly and also act to quic ydestroy the reproducing-stylus, such stylus requiring to be changed Whenrecords are made of cel uloid by impressing a matrix containing thesound-record in reverse, the celluloid does not take a clear andaccurate impression, with the result that the record is more or lessdefective.

I have discoveredthatif shellac and crocuspowder or shellac alone beincorporated with the ordinary ingredients employed in making celluloidand the resulting composition employed as a sound-record tablet theobjections heretofore existing to celluloid and to shellac are almostentirely eliminated, and a record of unusual quality is secured. Thiscomposition readily takes a clean-cut accurate impression from thematrix, producing a record of great durability and one which does notwear the reproducing-stylus to nearly the extent experienced with theold record, many reproductions being secured from the same stylus, andhence without the annoyance incident to a change of stylus at eachreproduction. Moreover, the amount of shellac, and hence the incidentexpense, is greatly reduced.

In the production of celluloid guncotton s dissolved with camphor, theingredients being ground and thoroughly mixed and the composition thentreated in a manner well known to persons skilled in that art. Accordingto my present invention I incorpol l i l l x i rate with the celluloidingredients either shellac alone or shellac and crocus-powder,preferably during or in advance of the grinding and mixing of thecelluloid ingredients, and then proceed in the usual manner of makingcelluloid.

The roportion of the various ingredients may oi course be varied withinlimits; but the formula I have found to give the most satisfactoryresults consists of adding twenty per cent. (20%,) by weight, of shellacto the usual celluloid mixture and (when crocuspowder is to be used) tenper cent, (10% by weight, of crocus-powder. I referably dissolve theshellac in any suita le solvent, as alcohol, and after incor orationwith the celluloid mixture the who e mass is mixed and thoroughlyground, just as in the production of celluloid. If desired, any suitablepig ment may be added, and in all other respects the usual method ofmaking celluloid is followed.

My new composition is a normally hard body having many of thecharacteristics of celluloid, but difiering therefrom in that it isharder and at the same time less yielding changing the stylus.Furthermore, since this material is less yielding than celluloid it doesnot give or yield laterally to the stylus, and hence roduces a moreaccurate reproduction. .T s composition is formed into comparativelythin disks, and be' hard and firm is capable of sustaining itself.without the employment of any backing,

though manifestly such backing may be used if desired. These disks thenhave soundrecord grooves formed therein by impressing a matrix intotheir-surfaces under heat and pressure, as in the ordinary way of makinga record on a celluloid tablet.

While the proportions above set forth have IOC been found to giveexcellent results, it Will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact percentages named, since the benefits of mydiscovery follow to a greater or less degree when any appreciablequantity of shellac or its equivalent is incorporated namely, asubstitute for celluloid which presents a surface in every Way betterthan celluloid or shellac for sound-records. A

For convenient reference a drawing ShOW ing conventionally asound-record and bearing a legend indicating its composition accompaniesthis specification.

What is claimed is 1. A tablet for sound-records, consisting of a hardand self-sustaining body containing shellac in addition to theingredients of celluloid.

2. A sound-record tablet coin osed of a homogeneous body containing sellac and the ingredients of celluloid.

3. A sound-record tablet consisting of aself-sustainin'g body composedofshellac and the ingredients of celluloid.

4. A sound-record tablet consisting of a self-sustaining bodycomposed-"of shellac, 1crocus-powder and the ingredients of celluoid.

5. A sound-record tablet consisting of a self-sustaining bodycomposed ofcelluloid and shellac.

6. A sound-record consisting of a tablet com osed ofshellac and theingredients of cellu oid and having irregularities corresponding tosound-Waves formed therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

VICTOR HJEMERSON. Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. HILLS, W. H. HARTING.

